Launched at Labelexpo Americas 2024, HEIDELBERG-Gallus is reflecting on Gallus MatteJet technology. The innovation represents a significant advancement in digital inkjet printing. It enables a high-quality matte finish that was previously impossible in digital inkjet printing, the company says, opening up the wine label market to inkjet technology for the first time.

MatteJet was developed at the Gallus Innovation Center in St. Gallen, the Gallus Experience Center, as an example of HEIDELBERG’s focus as a total solution provider for all modern printing processes – covering the entire spectrum from toner to inkjet, from offset to flexo, controlled by a common Prinect workflow. Visitors to Labelexpo Americas learned how MatteJet can transform the wine and spirits label market segment and offer printers and converters the key to a profitable new business area. The technology will also be featured at Labelexpo Europe 2025.

The glossy surface characteristic of digital inkjet technology is one of the biggest obstacles to the widespread use of this technology in labels and packaging, especially in premium segments such as wine and spirits labels, where brands traditionally expect a high-quality matte finish. Until now, this has only been possible using conventional printing processes or additional finishing with matte varnishes, which increases time, complexity, and costs.

Industry milestone

Gallus MatteJet technology is a milestone in the industry, offering a fast, cost-effective, and high-quality matting option that is integrated directly into the digital inkjet process. Printers can achieve a high-quality matte finish at the touch of a button without changing colors or adding varnish for overprinting. By removing one of the main barriers to the widespread adoption of inkjet printing, Gallus’ new process offers print companies an opportunity to enter a highly profitable market segment. In addition, MatteJet enables more label printers and brand owners than ever before to benefit from the advantages of digital printing.

“The development of Gallus MatteJet technology marks a decisive moment in the evolution of inkjet printing, opening up a world of new possibilities and ultimately transforming the very foundations of what is possible with inkjet technology,” comments Dario Urbinati, CEO of the Gallus Group. “By making matting accessible to digital inkjet printing, we can open up a whole new market segment to printers and converters without them having to make significant investments in separate offset solutions. This increases profitability and is an example of our commitment to creating a new era of flexibility that will enable our industry to flourish in the long term.”

“The new MatteJet technology is revolutionary, not only in terms of the possibilities it opens up but also in terms of its development,” Urbinati continues. “We opened the Gallus Experience Center with the vision of creating a dynamic, collaborative center of excellence that would drive significant, meaningful change in the industry. Gallus MatteJet is an example and proof of the kind of transformative developments that can be achieved when this vision is combined with real insights into today’s market needs and, of course, with the essential resources and expertise of our parent company HEIDELBERG.”

Extending ‘System to Compose’

The new MatteJet technology was developed for integration with the Gallus digital printing unit and is a further extension of Gallus’ “System to Compose” concept, which offers maximum compatibility between the leading product lines. The “System to Compose” concept enables printers and converters to equip, customize, and remove additional units from their Gallus One to meet changing business requirements. Following the overwhelming response at drupa 2024, the concept was further expanded to include workflow, service, and equipment options. At Labelexpo Americas, Gallus demonstrated how the System to Compose concept enables printers to change, adapt, and benefit in the long term, with MatteJet now another piece of the puzzle.